Multi-purpose car top luggage carrier



Aug. 9, 1960 E. A. BALL MULTI-PURPOSE CAR TOP LUGGAGE CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 18, 1957 INVENTOR. ELHER A. BALL Aug. 9, 1960 v E. A. BALL 2,948,576

MULTI-PURPOSE CAR TOP LUGGAGE CARRIER Filed Dec. 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I3 g g7 G 35 INVDVTOR. 2- z ELHER ADALL 3 lZ vm United States Patent Office Patented Aug. 9, 1960 2,948,576 MULTI-PURPOSE CAR TOP LUGGAGE CARRIER Elmer A. Ball, 13920 Par Place NE., Seattle, Wash.

Filed Dec. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 703,654

'6 Claims. (Cl. 312-240) This invention relates to a car-top luggage carrier, and particularly one which serves a multi-dutyfunction in-that the container'for the luggage is of agknock-down character with its components lendingthemselvesto usage as tables and benches when'not employed as a carrier for luggage. Designed primarily for use by campers, the invention has for its general obect the provision of a luggage carrier of *thegabove nature which is of simple and unusually sturdy construction and which can be either assembled or disastected against access of either rain water or road dust.

The above and other objects and advantages in view will appear and be understoodin the course of the following description and claims, the invention consisting in the novel construction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In :the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my luggage carrier in its assembled condition, and representing an associated car-top rack by broken lines.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof. g

Fig. 3 is a perspective view portraying two disassembled components of the present luggage carrier in use as a table and a bench.

Fig. 4 is an underside plan view of one of the tables with the legs folded.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view drawn to an enlarged scale on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view detailing the sealing strips which are carried along the bottom edges of the benches.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section drawn to an enlarged scale on line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view drawn to a yet larger scale to detail the frame which reinforces the table and forms a trough for the seating engagement of side edges of the benches.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the underside of one of the tables; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one of the elastic straps which secure the luggage carrier in place upon the rack.

According to the present invention there is provided a rack or bed frame of rectangular plan configuration arranged and adapted to be removably attached to a car roof in the usual or a suitable manner. Such bed frame is or may be fabricated from angle stock so as to provide a ledge 10 surrounded by a retaining wall 11. Such ledge and retaining wall are each lined with rubber stripping 12.

The carrier proper of the present invention rests upon said ledge and is in the nature of a knock-down box of which the top and the bottom each comprise identical foldable tables designated generally by 13 and of which the side walls are constituted of two members 16 each having a U-shape when viewed from above and which perform-the oflice of benches for'the tables. The leg and seat sections 14 and 15, respectively, of these benches have 'theirside edges disposed flush with one another in parallel planes, and both the inner and the outer facing surfaces are free of any jogs. The end edges of the legs each present a dove-tail groove 18 extending the full length of the edge, and fitted in these grooves with 'portions exposed are strips 17 of compressible rubber or other like or suitable substance which will produce a seal when pressed against like strips carried in the :grooves of :the companion bench.

The tables have depending skirts 21. Spaced to the inside of this skirt and extending parallel thereto is a flange 22 which complements the skirt to produce a downwardly facing trough 23 extending circumferentizilly about the entire perimeter. This trough is moderately wider than the thickness of .thebench legs 14, and is particularly characterized in. that the wall produced by the flange depends below the table top a distance somewhat greater than the skirt. To form said flange and serving the further function of reinforcing the table as Well as supporting the folding legs, the table is provided with an inside frame which could, if-desired, be molded or fabricated-from plastic but which preferably and as here shown is 'fabricatedfrom sheet metal. Considered in cross-section, the fabrication is one in which'the metal is doubled upon itself to present two branches of approximately equal length and with portions immediately adjacent the median loop being folded tight, one upon the other, to form a two-ply tongue serving as the flange 22. From the inner ply of the 2-ply flange, one branch bends outwardly, as at 24, substantially at right angles to the flange and thence bends downwardly, as at 25, parallel to the Such latter section of the branch is caused to closely hug the inner face of the skirt as a lining therefor and has a terminal curl 26 hooked over the lip of the skirt so as to anchor the same to the skirt. The other branch of the sheet metal frame first extends upwardly from the Z-ply flange as a co-planar prolongation of the concerned ply. From this prolongation, designated by 27, an end portion 28 is bent inwardly. Such end portion directly underlies the top of the table and is riveted or otherwise securely anchored thereto.

The folding table legs are desirably made from metal tubing formed to a U-shape so that two legs 30 are yoked by a common cross-rod 31. These cross-rods are journaled for rotation in brackets 32 riveted to the frame section 27. Pivotally attached by one end to the legs so as to brace the latter when the legs are lowered are links 33 having their other ends, or which is to say a pin 34 carried thereby, Working in slots 35 cut in said frame section 27, or in auxiliary angle sections 39. The legs are staggered so that, when folded, the same lie alongside one another at each side of the table. In this arrangement, only a single bracing link is provided for each pair of yoked legs, such being applied along each side between the frame section 27 and the particular leg which is proximal thereto. It is self-evident that four separate individually braced legs could be employed if desired. Best seen from an inspection of Fig. 5, the legs when folded are yieldingly lodged along opposite sides of a rubber catch 29.

When assembling the table and benches as a luggage carrier, and which can be performed either on or separate from the rack, the benches are placed on edge with the rubber strips 17 of the one pressing against those of the other. The legs of the tables are folded and one table is placed face-down so that its trough lies at the upperside,

and the two benches are fitted by their lower side edges into this trough. The trough of the other table is then fitted over the upper side edges of the two benches, forming the box-like container. Within the troughs, the bottoming edges of the benches bear against continuous strips 36 of sponge rubber or an equivalent sealing material glued or otherwise secured to the floor surfaces. Bullet catches 37 are carried by the benches and function to yieldingly hold the benches against retraction from the troughs. In lieu of these bullet catches, and while not shown in the drawings, it is feasible to express spring tongues from the material composing either side wall section of the troughs, causing these spring tongues of yieldingly bear against the flanking faces of the benches when the latter are inserted in the troughs.

To firmly secure the luggage carrier in position upon the rack there are provided elastic straps 40 having hooks 41 and 42 upon the two ends. The hooks are caught in slots 43 formed in the rack and in rings 44 carried along the skirting edges of the uppermost table.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that any equipment placed within the box is protected against access of either rain water or road dust. Upon reaching a camp site the carrier is easily and quickly disassembled and there are then provided two tables and two benches of unusually sturdy construction.

It is thought that the details of the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing description of my now preferred embodiment. Minor changes may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, wherefore it is my intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given a scope fully commensurate with the broadest interpretation to which the employed language admits.

What I claim is:

1. In a car top luggage container, two folding tables having the legs folded and placed so that the undersides are in facing relation and serving as the top and the bottom walls for the container and two benches laid on edge with one facing the other and serving as the side walls for the container, the side edges of the benches fitting in continuous troughs provided by skirts which circumscribe the tables, said troughs being characterized in that the inner wall thereof has a height exceeding that of the outer wall so that rain water entering the trough will spill over said outer wall before reaching the level of the inner wall.

2. In a car top luggage container, two folding tables having the legs folded and placed so that the undersides are in facing relation and serving as the top and the bottom walls for the container with each said table permanently formed upon its said underside with a skirting downwardly facing continuous trough of substantially uniform cross-section throughout, and two benches each having a U-shape when viewed from the side and laid on edge with the side edges fitting in the troughs of the tables and with the legs of one contacting the legs of the other to form side walls for the container.

3. Structure according to claim 2 in which the contact between said legs of the two benches is comprised of compressed strips of rubber carried by the two benches along the bottom surfaces of the legs.

4. Structure according to claim 2 in which the side edges of the benches bear within the troughs against sealing strips of rubber.

5. Structure according to claim 2 in which the folding legs of the table are comprised of U-shaped members each providing two legs connected by a cross-piece;

6. In a car top luggage container, two folding tables having the legs folded and placed so that the undersides are in facing relation and serving as the top and the bottom walls for the container with each said table permanently formed upon its said underside with a skirting downwardly facing continuous trough, and two benches each having a general U-shape when viewed from the side and laid on edge with the side edges fitting in the troughs of the tables and with the legs of one contacting the legs of the other to form side walls for the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 517,841 Clemens Apr. 10, 1894 1,101,992 Booream June 30, 1914 1,600,132 Pearl Sept. 14, 1926 1,712,213 Janicke May 7, 1929 1,950,118 Lifton Mar. 6, 1934 2,119,799 Sivey June 7, 1938 2,502,781 Erickson Apr. 4, 1950 2,538,946 Nyden Jan. 23, 1951 2,656,231 Mahr Oct. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 231,623 Great Britain Apr. 9, 1925 

